Goose

***This mod worked for me. I've only tried it on one top, so I can't be sure that it will work for anyone else***


So I installed my soft top this weekend. It was one that I'd purchased second hand and I was excited to finally get a chance to use it. After getting the top on, I went for a drive on the highway to see how it sounded. Well, I was pretty frustrated when I got up to about 50mph and the top was louder than the one from my old YJ. I knew from test driving JKs with soft tops that they shouldn't be that loud. Since my wife wears hearing aids it made the top useless to us, so I set to work trying to figure out what was causing the noise.
I figured that it had to be from the gap between the top and the windshield and knew that I didn't want to mess with the rubber on the windshield because my hardtop has no leaks and is very quiet. (knock on wood )
I decided to try to take up the gap by adding some weather stripping to the soft top. Since weather stripping would probably not stick to the vinyl top, and it would look like crap, I wanted to put it under the top.
Sorry, these are all the pics I took. I didn't expect it to work, so I didn't shoot very many pics.

Here is a pic of where the gap was before I did the mod. This is post mod, so the gap isn't really there.



I removed the top completely from the Jeep and took it inside to work on it. There are two separate pieces of plastic at the front of the top. One is the bottom piece that fastens the top to the Jeep, and the other is the top piece, which the top folds over to make that nice 180 degree angle that meets the windshield. It can't be seen unless you peel the actual top away from the plastic.



There are about 20 screws holding the top piece onto the bottom piece. Pull all of those screws out and the two pieces will separate.



You will need to add the weather stripping to the underside of the top piece. I used 3/4" wide 1/2" thick weather stripping from Home Depot.





I ran the stripping all the way up the side of the top piece. After I added the stripping, I put everything back together and went for a drive. The top was as quiet as the tops on the test drive JKs.

WRAITHYJEEP

i'm going to do this as preventative maintenance. before i switch tops for the season

Yamaha90

so did you really need to unscrew everything to put weatherstripping on it? seems you could have just stuck it up there if you took the top down
Edit. second hand? but anyway if you had it in the rain, it probably would have leaked. most likely if the top was sealed to the windshield you would not hear any noise. i don't. if there is a gap in between the windshield and top, you will hear the wind which would make the noise and drive people nuts.

Goose

I unscrewed everything so I could get the weather stripping in between the soft top and the plastic. You may be able to get the weather stripping on there with out unscrewing the entire thing, but I had it apart for another small repair I had to do that didn't affect the wind noise.
At minimum, you will have to take off the top, pull four screws that hold the soft top around the fold, and 8 screws that hold the plastic to the soft top frame. Just pulling those screws you may be able to get to the location that I put the stripping, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Once you look at the top and how it goes together, it becomes pretty clear where the stripping is.

Yup, second hand. I bought it off someone who traded their 2 door in for a 4 door and didn't trade the top in with it. I imagine that it would have leaked if I didn't do this, and may still leak. I just put the top on and it hasn't rained yet. I'm crossing my fingers that it doesn't, but we'll see.
I know that a handful of JKs have bad wind noise. IF it's the same noise I was getting, than this may be a fix for them. I know it worked for me, but certainly may not work for everyone, and many soft tops will be plenty quiet with out the weather stripping.

Berserker

I put weatherstripping on mine as well, but I didn't need to take the top completely off, or apart. It is amazing how a three dollar fix reduces the noise by so much inside. I can actually hear talk radio on the highway now.

Goose

I'm not sure how you got it under the top with out taking it off, but I'm glad to hear that it's worked for someone else. If you get a chance, you should describe how you got it under there with out taking the top apart some.


No kidding... Seems like it's $3 Chrysler should have spent in the first place. Of course, I guess it's not needed on all tops.

Goose

By the way... It just occurred to me that I DO NOT have a sunrider soft top and most people do. That may explain why I needed to take mine apart more than others may. Not sure though.

flacacub60

so is the reason that you didn't have to take it apart was due to having a sun rider?

08JKsahara

HEY YOU^^^^^^^^

I think this statement means that he DID NOT....I repeat .....DID NOT have a sunrider so he had to unscrew the top from the bottom.

badron5

If you want more "clamping force" try some black electrical tape around the clamp bar.